Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Officer at Eagle HR Consultants

• The MEAL Officer will be a part of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) team, supporting the implementation of the overall MEAL system. S/he will assist the MEAL team with MEAL activities, including the design of data collection tools, training, data collection, database management, and analysis, maintaining the Output Tracker (OT) and the Indicator Performance Tracking Table (IPTT), assisting with planning field visits, post-distribution monitoring, assessments, and evaluations, as well as providing general support in data entry and management.
• The MEAL Officer will be responsible for ensuring that the PACIDA complies with all USAIDrequirements for performance monitoring and evaluation and serves as the USAID technical expert in all questions pertaining to evaluation, monitoring, program review, reporting and other performance exercises relating to PACIDA’s technical assistance programs and its strategy. The job holder will be required to perform work-related travel to the project sites for continuous monitoring and quality assurance .

Key Responsibilities:

Monitoring:

• Ensure that projects have solid MEAL plans, Indicator Performance Tracking Tables, and log frames and well updated in and Output trackers. For instance, ensure that projects have clear MEAL plans, IPTT as well as tracking of total beneficiary reach.
• Work diligently with the project leads to update the indicator tracking tables and provide necessary MEAL guidance regarding project performance. S/he will support projects to develop systems and processes for the implementation of M&E plans based on PACIDAbest practices.
• Take lead in the development of tools and guidelines for data collection, collation, and reporting
• Support design and monitoring of quality benchmarks and take lead in monitoring project quality benchmarks to ensure that project quality standards are not compromised.
• Manage information generated through MEAL activities, such as complaints and feedback databases, action trackers etc. Additionally, support the utilization of the information gathered for program improvements.
• Support monitoring of field level activities with quality benchmarks and course correction action planning.
• Support and/or promote utilization of data generated through MEAL activities and events such as monitoring visits, baselines, assessments, reviews, real time evaluations,etc
• Plan and conduct Routine Data Quality Assurance (RDQA) in collaboration with PACIDAstaff for the reported data to ensure that data reported is validated, is accurate and consistent while providing feedback as necessary to program teams.
• Contributing to programme updates for the response management and internal information sharing, on a regular basis.
• Ensure compliance with quality benchmarks in M&E and overall programming, including adherence to the Sphere Charter, Core Humanitarian Standards, HARP standards, and other best practices, through activities such as post-distribution monitoring, routine data quality assessments (RDQA), and the evaluation of project performance against logical frameworks and results frameworks.

Evaluation

• Coordinate various assessments and surveys, including recruitment and training of Research assistants, coordinating and supervising the collection and analysis of data.
• Keeping track of project baselines, assessments, reviews, and evaluations – tracking trends and recommendations, progressing their implementation where appropriate.
• Support and participate in planning, implementation, and follow-up of evaluations, for instance, writing TORs, preparing literature review packs, planning evaluator itineraries, planning staff workshops, and report reviews. 
• Providing support during internal/external reviews, evaluations, and lessons learned activities.

Accountability:

• Maintain and update the action tracker for the projects while ensuring that actions agreed upon from debrief meetings with program teams are actioned.
• Support programming and field staff to ensure that projects are carried out with participation from all affected communities and that information is shared with affected communities.
• Ensure that strong accountability mechanisms are set up and monitored, that information is correctly shared with beneficiaries through the most appropriate mechanisms, and that beneficiaries actively participate in project activities. 
• Maintain and update a complaints and response mechanism database for tracking feedback from communities and ensure that the feedback/complaints are responded to.
• Build the capacity of other program staff to undertake accountability, including ensuring the participation of communities and sharing information with communities, as well as undertake accountability assessments.

Learning:

• Professionally document and proactively share information and learning from projects with PACIDA staff and stakeholders as necessary.
• Take an active role in ensuring that staff are compliant in uploading data and reports into SharePoint and other relevant online systems and maintain such database systems.
• Work with program staff to promote a learning culture and ensure learning is shared across field offices responding to the drought situation by encouraging cross learning between and within sectoral teams, tracking trends and recommendations, and progressing their implementation in the planning and project design where appropriate.
• Commit time to learning activities that benefit PACIDA and personal development

Reporting

• Ensure that PACIDA reported data complies with USG indicator standards, such as data quality assessments. Coaches and supports PACIDA colleagues in meeting these standards.  
• Conduct regular and/or periodic trends analysis and producing short and precise internal reports
• Consolidate output tracker data and support program leads with data collection processes needed for Humanitarian reporting like situational reports.

Knowledge: Qualifications & Experience:

• Degree in M&E, Information Management, Social sciences, Statistics or its equivalent
• Previous experience in supporting USAID/BHA, ECHO, and other major projects.
• Over five (5) years of work experience, three (3) of which should be in USAID managing MEAL in humanitarian programs.
• Knowledge of Health & Nutrition, Food Security & Livelihoods, WASH, Education and Child protection in emergencies and development, and programming.
• Strong self-starter, able to take initiative and adapt to changing circumstances and priorities.
• Positive attitude towards community work with an emphasis on the ability to learn from communities and support participatory, innovative approaches to problem solving
• Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive, and empathize with program participants
• Fluent in written and spoken English, Kiswahili. Local language will be an added advantage.
• Good report writing skills
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions
• Good understanding of MEAL concepts in humanitarian contexts within ASAL areas.